You guys. You know that MacBook Pro I bought expressly for the purpose of working outside and moving about in the world? Well guess what? I wrote this post on my iMac. Sitting at my desk. Staring at people who were outside on their MacBook Pros. Yep. And my MackBook Pro? It was sitting in its box, with its 17″ screen, and its 10 hours of battery life. Just sitting there, its only wish to melt my thighs with its scalding base. (Those motherboards get far-too-hot-far-too-fast… for serious. After an hour, I feel like I’ve been through one of those cellulite smoothing sessions you see on Dr. 90210 or that Tyra Banks show. But, unfortunately, I don’t need cellulite smoothing on the fronts of my thighs, so lose-lose.) Anywho! I don’t regret my purchase whatsoever. I LOVE MY MACBOOK PRO, like everyone else. By the way, yes, I went crazy and got the 17 incher, as you’ve likely noted. It’s like carrying around a small, overweight child. I could seesaw with this thing, and I think the weight distribution would be evenly matched. It’s kind of crazy. When I look at my MacBook Pro, I laugh, because it is so freaking BIG. It’s HUUUUUGE. It’s a laptop, but truly, looks are deceiving. I’m going to start working out so I can carry it around with me. Ok, on to the Fab Finds!!! (: {Continue reading…}

First things first: let me extend the heartiest of hearty thank yous to my lovely guest bloggers for taking the reigns in such unique and fabulous ways. I’m forever grateful for your amazing contributions over the last few days! Superb jobs done by all! And thanks for showing your love and support, my dear readers! I’m so glad you enjoyed their posts!

Now, I won’t lie; the time we got to spend away from all the hoopla this weekend was supa fly – supa dupa fly – and very much needed… {Continue reading…}

Happy Friday, my good friends! I hope you’re havin’ a good one so far. Me? Well, this week was three parts hella-busy and one part I-had-no-free-time, but also one part I-fell-in-love-with-a-new-site called “Stereomood.” If you loooove music but you haaaaate a) having to arrange mixes that’ll fit your mood and b) having to wade through the muck only to hit your skip limit on Pandora too soon, then you’re gonna love this find. (It’s that favorite one I mentioned yesterday. This thing is on like all the time for me. I lovingly refer to it as my life soundtrack. Btw, currently obsessing over the “it’s raining” playlist.)

In other news, I’m just psyched beyond all recognition to show you the Finds I have for you today. But first, quick recap: as most of you know, I’m going to be away for the better part of next week (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here). {Continue reading…}

A bunch of HUGE things are going on over the next week or two. I shall itemize them now.

(… But I shall also pepper in my hottest dress picks for summer, because who doesn’t love that? A good read (if I do say so myself) + the cutest dresses ever = a great blog post, in my estimation.) Ok, DRESS PIC TIME!

Your proposal stories are b for bananas. I really don’t know how else to describe them. They are just making my YEAR right now. They are so awesome that I need to pursue a column in a wedding or style magazine where I can feature them regularly because that’s how much they rule. And guess what? Set your watches (my 6th grade mathlete buddies) because the series is set to start in a couple of weeks. I know you guys are dying to see them up in lights and believe me, I am dying to bring them to your neck faces. DRESS PIC! … {Continue reading…}

Ok, I am obsessed with a lot of things. (You’ll likely remember this thing, which has a lot in common with today’s post.) Frankly, I don’t know how I make it through the day with so many obsessions in tow. I see something I love (aka a new obsession), I jot it down on one of myriad post-its or leave the tab open on my browser, next to the 47 other tabs that are currently open (shh, don’t tell AppleCare about that). So you get it. I get obsessed with something unique/uniquely pretty/uniquely fantastical/uniquely priced for the value/etc. And I keep it, on paper or open indefinitely in a browser tab. And Smilebooth is no different. In fact it hails from tab No. 4 in my Firefox browser, which means me loved it long time. (Note: I have Firefox and Safari open concurrently, as I need access to two email accounts – you know how we do).

There are sooooo many reasons to love Smilebooth. I love the people I met who operate it (they are radically nice, polite and all around good people); I love the concept; I love the memories created; I love the ease of use/interactiveness, etc. See? Lots of reasons. Ok, great. But there’s something I love even more than any of that, combined…

And it’s photo booth BACKDROP INSPIRATION! Behoooold:

And what’s more? They don’t just do the pictures and leave the backdrop entirely to you (unless that’s what you want, of course). They can create a CUSTOM BACKDROP for your special event! THIS IS SO RAD I AM GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK, ACK, ACK, ACK, ACK, ACK.

Check it: you really can go in any direction you want with this…

FYI: I think it’s BYOC (bring your own costume)…

Here’s the skinny from the source:

We will work one on one with you to create an environment for your Smilebooth that gets your guests excited and adds that special touch to your photos. We can design the backdrop to compliment your wedding/event and carry out its overall theme. Or we can create something completely outrageous and different!

Love it. How fun does designing a custom backdrop for your photo booth photos sound? Because I think it sounds the funnest. I also don’t think anyone’s questioning that. However, you’re free to go backdropless, if you dig a clean look:

See? It’s all about giving great face.

Actually, all you really need is a bunch of rad, free people who aren’t afraid to let loose and be a little silly on film. Yeah, I have friends like that. Fer. Sure. And now I’m getting excited about the kind of Smilebooth experience I could have here. Ok, this is a must.

{By the way, for those who are interested, you can get that blue dress above at Lulu*s (show below in white and coral). You’re welcome.}

Anyway, as I was saying, I am deeply in love with the Smilebooth concept, and wholeheartedly recommend hiring them for your festivity, whatever it may be. Want to check out more photos? Take a trip on over to the raddest of blogs, run by Matt of Our Labor of Love, to check out some killer Smilebooth craziness. Personally, I can’t get enough. For example, check out this masterpiece I grabbed from Matt’s blog:

How freaking brilliant is all of that. Smilebooth rules.

So, what do you think? Do you love the idea of designing your own backdrop? Would it be colorful or bare? Or is this just not for you? Chime in; I’m dying to know what you think!

Happy Monday, you crazy kids. How were your weekends? Do anything special? Fiancé and I spent a nice, calm summer day with my Popsicle et al and, all in all, it was pretty relaxing. (Plus, I made a cake!) By the way, to all the brides who got married on Father’s Day: I couldn’t imagine a more wonderful gift to your dad than to let him walk you down the aisle on such a meaningful day. Both my Dad and I are major proponents of the idea! So congrats to any of you who got hitched on Sunday – well played!

(Like the shoes? You might love the Badgley Mischka Randee featured in this post. Btw, if you like ruffled things, here’s my fave quilt EVER.)

Alright, today I’ve got a couple of things I thought I’d share with you, the first of which I’m going to pepper in throughout all the chatter of the second one…

So, number one = totally stylish bridal look inspiration, as photographed by the endlessly creative genius that is Elizabeth Messina and;

Number two = details about how my Dad spent his Father’s Day. Plus, I’ve got a comment on good parenting at end of this post. Well, more like an excellent quote on the topic. Not that you care, but I’m sharing anyway. (;

* * *

Ok, I am obsessed with this bride’s style, and think you might be, too.

* * *

Back to Dad’s Day… some of you might remember that little bit of unsolicited advice I dispensed about Father’s Day at the very end of this post right here; well, I like to make a habit of taking my own medicine, which translates into the kind of Father’s Day we gave the ol’ patriarch. So, how did he spend his day? Exactly the way he wanted to (most activities done with his loving wife by his side):

-watched his morning news programs

-watched Italy and New Zealand end in a tie

-went for a walk

-had a heart to heart with his kidsters

-took a shower

-went to a friend’s barbeque

-got heartwarming cards and calls from each of his kids

-watched a bunch of golf

-took a break to have dinner with us

-watched the end of the golf

-had an amaaaaazing black and white (choc/vanilla) cake with sprinkles, made by yours truly

Because yesterday was Father’s Day, and because proper parenting is so important and so little advice is given to those who don’t actively seek it out, I thought today would be the perfect day to include a passage my fiancé brought to my attention. It’s by the great Kahlil Gibran, author of “The Prophet.” I don’t have kids, so I’m no authority by any stretch, but I’ve got to believe this is one of the smartest bits of thought on the subject of parenting, imo:

-♡-

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you,

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends with you His might that His arrows might go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

~ Kahlil Gibran

Hope you enjoyed both bits of this post! I’m curious, what do you think of today’s bride’s style? Are you into the ruffle-mania, the statement headgear, the whole shebang? Share your thoughts, either way!

Happy Friday, everybody! Ok, let me just get something out of the way real quick. May I ask a hugetastic favor? If you think I deserve it, please take a sec to let ‘em know over at the Wedding Channel that The Knotty Bride is one of your favorite Real Bride Blogs. (The more votes, the better chance I have of winning!) If you don’t mind, of course. Pretty please? You would make my year! Thank you like crazy! (If you do enter me and you feel like letting me know, go for it and, of course, I’m totally writing you back and thanking you to the high heavens. My gratefulness knows no bounds.)

* * *

Love that, right? Me too. It’s one of the Finds, today. (:

Ok, let’s get going!

First off, this kind of rules. I think it’d be such a fun little project to do at your tame bachelorette party. Personally, if it’s strip club vs. ruffle shirt projects, I think I’ll opt for the ruffle shirt every time. {Continue reading…}

I feel like I never get to plop down in front of the ol’ tele and veg out anymore – I try to catch a few useless time-wasters, aka, The Hills and The Bachelorette, when I can, but I feel like it’s a chore to wade through the fluff, mainly because it is all fluff. Well, that’s a lie about The Hills. Not the all fluff part, the chore part. I know some of you caught a late night tweet last week that spoke to a certain last-minute rental car, a certain rushed ride home, and a certain half-hour reality show that airs Tuesdays at 10PM EST (true story). Anyway, this week we were smart enough to tape that little fake-tanned indulgence of ours, and when I was about to turn it off, I saw the beginning of a commercial for a new MTV show (what? No, I don’t watch MTV, pshhh). Actually, it was after watching that crappity crap crap Downtown Girls (don’t judge me). Anyway, the new show that totally caught my eye and piqued my curiosity is called “If You Really Knew Me,” and it premieres July 20 I believe. And OMIGOD it is the experiment I’ve always dreamed of conducting. Always. DREAMED.

MTV describes it as “a documentary series that breaks down the walls of cliques in high school and brings kids together.” I honestly don’t see how this could go wrong. This is perfect… I mean, from the previews it’s almost unreal the kind of heart-wrenching material they actually address. I’m just hoping it doesn’t turn into something useless and dumb. Oh wait, I seem to be a fan of that. So it looks like I’ll watch either way.

In other news, I’m shooting guns tonight. Yup! No, I’m not kidding. I’m shooting guns tonight. Over on the West Side, ya heard? I dare you to show up. (Please don’t; you may die. I have never held a gun before in my life.) Don’t worry, I have not suddenly jumped aboard the Palin train, and I am not a card-carrying member of the NRA. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But the Fancy thought this would be fun, and I am going to admit that I was pensive for a hot second, and then psyched for all the days leading up to this afternoon’s approaching experience. Oh how I cannot wait to share with you how it goes. Is it weird that I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to hold a glock? First timers are allowed to use only rifles. Do they think they’re saving lives by limiting the firearm selection of newbies? THIS IS A SHOOTING RANGE. Depending on how you look at it, these places are breeding grounds for widespread, swift killing. But, ok, I’ll take my rifle and shut my picky mouth. (By the way, I cannot believe I’m doing this. So scared… so, so scared…)

* * *

Ok now. First, check out this painting, by Wayne Thiebaud.

Now… Check. Out. This. Cake spread.

I bet they’re starin’ at those cakes; I would be…

I know, RAD. I’ve had these beauties in a folder on my comp for like EVER. I pretty much thought about featuring them every other day – I honestly have no idea what took me so long. You wouldn’t believe how much eye candy I have stored away in folders… you seriously wouldn’t believe it.

Seriously.

I have so many images in folders and so many tabs open in my browsers (yup, plural) that it’s not even funny anymore. ANYWHO, back to cakes: The set-up, which is the work of the fantastic Ana’s Creative Bakery, was inspired by the iconic Wayne Thiebaud painting. Isn’t it magnificent? In the famous words of bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, the bride who thought this up is “My New Favorite.”

And just because I’m feeling a little light on the eye candy today, here are a few more delightful details from that wedding:

A few words from Kate Harrison:

Lisa & Drew live life to the fullest: adventure, zest, laughter, love…you name it. They are such a delight to be around and their wedding rocked my world. A Thiebaud inspired cake table?? The best ever. (Giddy!) Outdoor adventure themes everywhere?? Amazing. I was totally in love. It was a coupling of my dreams: the adorable Lisa & Drew & my hippie/bright-little-cake-loving heart. (And check out those science cookies!)

Ok, so let me just say that the response to this has been AMAZEBALLS. (Thank you, Michelle Ward, for turning me on to that one, by the way.) I mean, I knew you guys would be into it, and I also knew you all had some pretty amazing stories to tell, but HELLO. My inbox is flooded with heartwarming, well thought out, totally surprising, totally inspiring proposal stories that had me sitting on the edge of my seat yesterday with a tissue box at the ready. And I have to say – the most surprising thing of all, so far? The stories that have come in from the guys out there. I don’t know how you came upon the site, where from or who recommended you visit, but I am SO GLAD YOU FOUND ME. Because your proposal stories/photos/videos are RULING. And by the way? The stories I’m getting from all my females out there are equally as awesome – please don’t get me wrong, ladies. I just felt compelled to give a z100 shout out to the fellas submitting their love-laden stories to the blog. I didn’t expect it and it has made my year! (Seriously, just wait until you read/see/watch these things. I cannot wait to share them all!!!)

* * *

MARKETING & FIANCÉS

Fun fact: the fiancé has been mostly a back-end guy (SHUT UP) when it comes to the site here. However, recently he’s been trying his hand at a little TKB promotion. He asked me some time ago for a handful of my business cards, with the intention of handing them to engaged girls near his workplace. Every day he says he sees ladies with huge rocks on their fingers and he calls them all “missed opportunities.” (In a business sense, not a nailing sense, obvs.) He’s really serious about this, and because I admire his business sense, and have always felt I can trust his public and interpersonal appropriateness, I thought, hey, why not? It’s not my first choice marketing approach, but he certainly wasn’t reinventing the wheel. Well, last night I saw him in action…

Scenario one: He spies a young woman with a ginormous engagement ring. STOPS in the middle of the crosswalk. RUNS TO CATCH UP WITH HER. She’s listening to music and walking briskly. Taps her on the shoulder and somewhat smoothly shoves the card in her face. RUNS AWAY FROM HER AND BACK TO ME.

Scenario dos: notices a young couple sitting a couple tables away from us at dinner. Asks me: “can you tell if she’s wearing just an engagement ring, or both an engagement ring and a wedding ring?” Me: “Why.” Him: “You know why.” I’m already a little wary of what’s about to go down, but I decide to go along with it, and I peer over to check her finger. It’s dark, I’m half-committed to the operation anyway, and so I can’t make out anything. Me: “Can’t tell.” Him: I THINK IT’S ONE… I’M GOING FOR IT…” Me: “No… wait, WHAT? No… ok fine.” (He’s already up when I say ok fine.) She gets up, he asks her if she’s engaged or married… WEIRDED. OUT. She says, “umm… I’m married.” He still gives her the card because how weird would that have been if he just walked away from the scene?! Card wasted? check. Girl sufficiently weirded out? check. Valiant, if misguided, effort by the fiancé? check.

I took the remaining cards back. Actually, I didn’t have to say anything – he handed them over.

I am rethinking this approach. But even more, I’m waiting for these girls to leave comments on the blog. I expect they will go something a-like a-this:

“umm, hi alison, I like your site, I’m glad some random dude accosted me on the street/while I was enjoying dinner with my husband in a restaurant and shoved your card in my face. I know I gave him the dirtiest of looks when he turned around, but your business card is kickass and I just had to visit. So all in all, a win-win!”

Quick reminder that Father’s Day is June 20th this year. So if you’ve got a Hubby or Popsicle (that’s what I affectionately call my Dad; yeah, you can steal it) who deserves a little special treatment, DO SOMETHING for him. No pressure. But keep in mind the fact that the World Cup games may be slightly more important to the man than family time in a cabin upstate. Just sayin’. She learned the hard way.

xoxo! -Alison

I almost forgot to ask: what are your thoughts on today’s obsessions – any standout faves? And if you don’t feel like talking about that, then what are your plans for Father’s Day, if any?

Do you recall that first photo I featured from Moko and Jovita’s wedding? Well, a couple of their pre-wedding photos were used to create that display. And if you liked that, ooooohhoohhoooo… you are gonna love the crap outta this…

It’s couples and pictures like these that make my brain go wild with ideas. Amazing, outlandish, colortastic and cripplingly plentiful ideas. And then, as per usual, indecision prevails. But it’s super fun to stare at the decisions others have made! And these are the most creative I’ve seen all week! Enjoy: {Continue reading…}

This wedding has made me fall deeply in love with the idea of having a wedding. Don’t get me wrong; I adore weddings in general (I mean, YOU KNOW THIS). But this wedding makes me excited for every bride who gets to design her day with awesome vendors and an awesome husband and what is clearly awesome design-mindedness. But really, it’s the dreaminess of the pictures that did it for me. Dreamy, ever-so-slightly-out-of-focus photos are soooooooo the number one thing in my book (aside from making sure you love the person you’re marrying, but that goes without saying… or does it?).

And by the way, her bridesmaids = ADORABLENESS. Their shoes = ADORABLENESS to the MAX.

This, right here, rocks my effing socks off. (Does it make me uncool that a succulent boutonniere rocks my socks off?) Regardless, it’s got to be my favorite idea for a boutonniere in AGES. I’ve seen so many boutonnieres (I will never get used to spelling that out) and I rarely like them all that much. Just being honest. But this one has got it going on: it’s simple, it’s green, and it’s a succulent. I am obseeeeeessssssssed with succulents. And, last but not least, it’s yet another crafty and creative reason why I lurve Maddy over at Inspired Bride.

You know what today’s couple has? The right idea, that’s what. When Doug and Courtney – the husband and wife team of Blue Dandelion Photography – sent me the e-session of Sara and Dustin, my excitement dial went from zero to eeelevuhn within seconds. It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for balloonaction. But make ‘em all different colors and then you’re just spoiling me. As if that wasn’t enough, what really got me going was the unique approach the couple took to their shoot. It made me think to myself, “self, this couple knows what it’s all about…”

.

As you’re about to see, this shoot is dripping with playfulness that screams of a couple comfortable in love. Ok, here it comes…

(… Uh-oh…)

* * *

Before the big reveal, check out what Doug and Courtney had to say about the couple and the plan:

For Sara and Dustin, they approached us in spring after their friends signed on with Blue Dandelion. They are instantly excitable (in the good sort of way), and Sara has this ability to glean laughter from the most subtle points. When we discussed their engagement shoot, they really wanted to take it in a different direction. She said, “Dustin and I, while totally in love, are not the overly romantic type. We were hoping our pictures could highlight our ‘goofy’ side.” What could be more fitting than balloons, be it filled with air – or water! We simply had a blast doing the shoot, including dodging cars (unsuccessfully) early on, crawling around storm drains and down railroad tracks, and concluding with our waterworks.

* * *

Ok, here’s the money shot!

WHAM! Excellent shot, girlfriend!

* * *

I love how keeping it real for these two has very little to do with romantic poses and everything to do with having massive amounts of silly fun with one another.

Now, SERIOUSLY, how many girls do you know who are willing to get soaked during their ENGAGEMENT SHOOTS? Some of you may be thinking, “I’d so be game for that,” but really think about it. … Would you? I’d like to think I’d be down, but I honestly don’t know. And that’s why I love Sara.

.

I don’t know these two personally, but I have a feeling we’d make fast friends. Any girl who doesn’t mind getting her hair a little wet while getting her picture taken is a girl I admire.

* * *

Moral of the story: stay true to you and what you want/who you are as a couple, and everything will work out just as it should. Also, water balloons make for AMAZING E-SESSION PICTURES. I mean, how much do you envy these photos? I now officially need to experience a shoot like this; I don’t think I have a single photo of myself completely soaked and I have an inexplicable longing to change that now.

So, what do you guys think of this shoot? Are you digging the “let’s just have a load of fun today” approach this couple chose to take? Would you water balloon it up for your shoot? I’m dying to hear your take on this, whatever it may be!!!

Ok, first things first: thank you guys SO MUCH for all the rad feedback on yesterday’s post. I don’t know if you realize this, but when you comment and tweet (and even email me!) with your individual doses of love re: an idea I’ve shared or story I’ve told, it just makes my freaking day. Don’t think I don’t check the comments and click my Twitter name to see who’s mentioned me, because I do. And the great thing is that each time I do, I’m reminded yet again how lucky I am to be a part of such a positive, supportive and inspiring community of people. If you were here right now, beside me, I’d kiss you full on the lips. Nothing weird. Just a passionate kiss between friends.

Ok, on to the main event…

Want a beautiful, heartwarming e-session? Awesome, I just happen to have one right here.

There’s been a lotof news around these parts as of late. Here’s some more…

I am pleased to announce that The Knotty Bride is now welcoming sponsors and other forms of advertising on the blog! TKB has grown by leaps and bounds since its relatively recent inception in October of 2009, thanks to brides, wedding professionals, event planners, fantastic fellow bloggers and men and women everywhere planning special events of their own.

Readership continues to grow exponentially… I nearly pee my pants and call my mama every time I look at the daily traffic totals. Plus, the feedback I receive every day re: the ideas, inspiration and advice I post on TKB brings me the kind of immense, incomprehensible joy that can be likened only to that which is felt when a baby is born, or after finding out at the register that the dress you thought was on sale for $149.50 is actually on sale for $69.50, but was for some reason not marked as such! Or some other miraculous event – you get it.

So…

If you are interested in advertising on The Knotty Bride and you offer a product or service that you think would be relevant to this audience, I’d love to hear from you. Please email theknottybride@gmail.com (subject: “advertising”) for information.

* * *

Thanks, I look forward to working with you!

Coming up…

Remember when I said this yesterday? –> “Having a fit over my blog post for tomorrow. An absolute, full-out, twitching, jump up and down fit.”

Maybe you can imagine my excitement when I saw this over on one of my favorite wedding blogs ever:

If that’s too tiny, for God’s sake go check out the post on the Wedding Chicks’ blog. They are AWESOME, and I’m not just saying that because of the massive shout out love they gave me re: my new role as a Style Me Pretty guest blogger. … But ok that is part of it. Speaking of… THANK YOU for that massive front page shout out, ladies! You have officially made my week and a half. And not the kind that goes from Monday all the way through to Thursday. No, no. The kind that includes two weekends. AKA the best kind. AKA OMIGOD the Wedding Chicks talked about me!!!!!!!!

Lots o’ love goin’ around these days. Feeling really blessed to be involved in it all.

I found this tool on Brides.com and it entertained me so much, that I just had to share it with you guys. {Let me know what YOU think of it!}

If you’ve been struggling to figure out the perfect color combination and design for your wedding cake, here’s a nifty little solution. It’s not unlike those sites that let you upload your face to test haircuts – which, by the way, are woefully unhelpful and really serve only to make you think you have an oddly-shaped head… unless you totally don’t know what I’m talking about, which would render me someone who has an oddly-shaped head. Oh dear.

Anyway, the tool, aptly named “Create-a-Cake,” allows you to whip up a cake prototype (that’s probably a bit too technical-sounding for wedding cakes, but I can’t think of anything else so whatever), and you can even print it out to show your baker! It’s real handy, and I like it. Heck, even if you’re not planning a wedding, it’s kind of a lot of fun to play around with the colors and decorations.

As you can see here, I was (unwittingly at the time) craving a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Or wedding cake.

Notice how I spelled out T-K-B? Yeah, I took a little longer than I should have on that. Oh the life of a detail-oriented person. What am I saying, I LOVE BEING THAT WAY. :)

Ooh, and stay tuned for more Fab Finds, silly goose! That’s what my niece and nephew call me. If we all insulted each other the way very young children do, I think the world would be a slightly better place. Slightly better.

It is kind of the most awesome thing I’ve seen, and I’ve seen tons of things. Not to mention – and I’m a little unsure of whether or not I should admit this, but – I’ve never even seen the show Gossip Girl.

Oh, I’ve HEARD about it – from pretty much every single one of my girlfriends. And it sounds fabulous. Honestly, at this point, I don’t know what’s stopping me. I do have a couple of ideas, however. First, having been through high school once, I see no reason to relive it. That could be just me – though I have a feeling it’s a good 89% of all of you, too. Second, it could be related to the drive that has kept my ears bereft of holes all these years; it started out with indifference but, over time, has morphed into what can best be described as a silent, pointless, yet unwavering rebellion.

Anywho, if this shower speaks at all of what I can expect out of Gossip Girl set design, well then hello CW, I may have been wrong about you.

And check out these totally cute dessert balls (they’re either petit fours w/ preserves and swiss buttercream, or individual strawberry cheesecakes, but I couldn’t tell you which):

And, last but not least, the blueberry and cheddar-chive scones:

There were games, too! The girls learned just how well they know their friend, Lily, by filling out this absolutely darling questionnaire, entitled “How Well Do You Know the Bride?” Reminds me of a similar bridal shower trivia game I posted back in January…

Go check out the rest of this fabulous festivity (it’s a two-parter) here and here!

As most of you already know, this past Saturday I attended one of the most FABULOUS wedding events around. It was, of course, the “Wedding Party,” and it was bananas. I’ll be presenting new photos and inspiration from the event every single day this week. Let’s begin, shall we?

Commencing with our star players: the event was hosted by Claudia Hanlin and Jennifer Zabinski, the two lovely, remarkable women behind the Wedding Library, a chic wedding research boutique located on NYC’s upper east side.

Before I go on, I’d first like to extend my sincerest gratitude to Claudia and Jennifer for having me – the event was INTOXICATING (more on why I chose that word, in a later post) and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the experience, from start to finish. (Truly, it was the best way I could have imagined spending my birthday!)

The Party, which began at 10:00 in the morning and lasted well into the afternoon, felt like it whipped by, due in large part to its uber-jam-packedness (yes, a made up word) with delicious goodies, jaw-dropping style, incredible people and breathtaking inspiration. If you weren’t there, well, you’re probably going to regret it once you see the myriad photos I took of everything the event had to offer.

After Claudia and Jennifer welcomed everyone, they handed things over to the one… the only… Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Darcy has quite a presence. She’s all sorts of charming, a bit self-deprecating and, most of all, brilliantly in touch with the wedding industry’s freshest trends and the bride collective’s deepest decorating desires. I eat, sleep and breathe Martha Stewart Weddings, both print and net, yet still found myself hypnotized by the engaging musings and dazzling imagery delivered by this maven of matrimony.

Here, she shares with us the unexpected beauty afforded by an ice sculpture:

You’re going to LOVE what’s in store this week… and I kinda can’t wait to share it all with you. Here’s a sneak peek…

And another…

It’s gotta be in doses, however, because I’ve got a LOT to post. I put my camera battery in a sleeper hold and didn’t let up over the course of nearly five hours. Thank bejeezus my friend brought along her own, or I might have been that blonde girl openly crying in the second row during the Vera Wang runway show.

Fortunately, it didn’t go quite like that. Instead, I snapped a bazillion photos, all beginning with this one:

Just wait until you see the rest.

Oh, and it’s not just gowns I’ll be posting… though the rush one experiences at a Vera Wang runway show is likely comparable to that achieved in summiting Mount Everest (I wouldn’t know firsthand, but it’s probably accurate).

I’ve got dessert tables that tantalize, wedding cakes coated in buttercream, colorful crafts for the creatives out there, and so much more.

All the time, as I walk the streets of New York, Westchester and the Island of Long, I see girls who look absolutely stunning in their everyday lives. Many sport low ponies, others rock side-swept bangs. They look great; their chosen styles suit them. And, as a people watcher, I love good style. It’s a treat for me.

But, come the wedding day, something changes for some brides. It happens to so many of these normally stylishly coiffed contessas, something that I can describe only as a tragic disconnect between their naturally on point senses of style, and what they believe looks even better in the context of their wedding day. Curls when they normally rock it straight, or a tight updo when they typically let if flow free. Too often, my internal dialogue sounds something like this: “Shoot, you looked so good yesterday in your go-to high pony, why did you think pin curls were the right style for your big day?” I just don’t get it! This phenomenon I can’t fully explain. It baffles me – though I do have some ideas.

I understand the desire for change, for something fresh, different, new… and, thus, presumptively more beautiful. But it’s not every time that the latter follows the former. And when I see it happen, a few signals go off in my head that lead me to some probable assumptions about what precipitated the mess up top.

I don’t want this to happen to any more brides. I can’t in good conscience allow it. I’ve spoken to too many brides who have expressed regret over their ‘day-of-do’ to let it go on any longer.

… So, I’ve created a quick reference list of the best advice I can offer when it comes to your wedding day locks. SERIOUSLY, pay attention, I do this out of love…

5 Top Tips for Great Wedding Day Hair:

~ Consider how you wear your hair normally. Is this somewhat chic, and would you consider it appropriate for a formal event? Then maybe it’s the perfect look and you shouldn’t mess with a good thing.

~ Ask trusted friends and family. Some- no, many people will lie to you because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. Which can lead to hair fails. And this is not the time for a hair fail.

~ Don’t be led by your stylist. It doesn’t matter if the person doing your hair likes it; it matters if YOU like it. Ok? So be true to yourself.

~ It’s easier to be true to yourself when you plan ahead, as in arrange for a consultation/trial so you can actually take a mental (and actual) picture of what you can expect to look like. This will also let you know if you and your chosen stylist are on the same page when it comes to the definition of looking good.

~ Always keep this in mind: he’s already proposed to you, which means he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, and you’ve looked the way you look now, all along. You must look at least half-way decent already.

***

For inspiration, I have included within this post a veritable Smörgåsbord of hair styles I consider to be wedding-appropriate. (Save for that very first one; that’s just for laughs… OF COURSE.) Please hover over the images for their details and credits, which have been assigned where available. Images without detailed information are courtesy of Polyvore.

On a visit to Chic Florals & Events, while scrolling down the page I suddenly caught sight of something I knew I had seen before, elsewhere. I remember totally loving it but, of course, whenever that first time was, I had been distracted by some other bit of loveliness elsewhere, and left it behind. Well, thankfully I stumbled upon it once again, and no way is it getting left in my dust this time. It’s just too pretty, too chic, and too great an idea to risk forgetting about all over again.

How sharp does that look? There’s something so incredibly exquisite about this idea… and while I can’t speak for all dessert cheese tables, I’ll risk it and say that if you set up a smartly chosen arrangement of low-stink factor milky delights, and label those suckers in such a way as has been done here by the amazing Maybelle Imasa-stukuls, I’d say you’ve got a guaranteed hit on your hands. And why’s that?

… Because people LOVE CHEESE. And the only thing people love more than cheese is cheese spread across a slice of baguette.

The objective, in Karen’s words: “we decided to create a dessert cheese table—very much in the French fashion—using a rustic chic look for décor, staying within the given color palette of cream and white.”

By the way, adding comb honey to the tablescape is a magnificent idea, if you ask me. Not only is it easy on the eyes (who hasn’t stared at that captivating little jar of tightly packed honeycomb, just waiting for a good reason to buy it?), but spread on bread or paired with a strong cheese, it’s one heck of a treat for the palate. Your guests will LOVE it!